Thirty plus One ways to say I Love You (Aya x Kanetsugu)
by aldendraco
Summary: For Imaginative OTP Imagines' tumblr 30-day OTP challenge. Obviously centers around Aya and Kanetsugu, it will be a collection of thirty (plus one) small fics corresponding to the daily prompts of the challenge. Rated T for romance and some violence. I hope you enjoy!
1. Day 1: Meeting

**I'm so going to regret starting this but I don't caaaare :')**

 **Or maybe I do oh well I guess I'll exhaust and stress myself out won't I XD BUT it's worth it because Aya x Kanetsugu is the sweetest of all the sweet SW ships (along with a million more ships... *sigh* the life of being a fan)**

 **Anyway these are going to be short chapters according to the plot of each prompt, by the blog Imaginative OTP Imagines on tumblr, but the first few ones are going to be sloppy until I figure out a good style to write them in (since I'm generally not very good with short stuff lol).**

 **Oh well... enjoy the first chapter/Day I guess!**

* * *

 **Day 1: Meeting**

He'd always remember the first time he met her.

To be honest he wasn't even sure it could be called a meeting in the first place, because it was a battle in the middle of the night, he was lying in on the ground in shock with an enemy soldier hovering an ax above his head, and she just sweeped right between them, saving him from the impending deadly blow.

She'd only turned to look at him for a few seconds, but he'd never forget that first time he saw her -how the opponent's blood was smeared across her cheek, how the glowing of the fire accented her face and made her velvet eyes gleam, how she smiled kindly to him, offering him her hand and pulling him up as he stared at her, enchanted.

 _"What's your name?"_

 _"K-Kanetsugu... my name is Kanetsugu Naoe..."_

 _"Kanetsugu... what a lovely name."_ She had smiled. _"I see potential in you. Do not forget my words."_

And just like that, she was gone -she just rushed away,following her brother into the chaos of the still ongoing battle. And only as he saw her following lord Kenshin did he really realise who she was, to who he'd just spoken to, who had _saved_ him.

 _'Lady Aya...!'_

Yes, their first meeting had been vague and short and uncertain, and maybe she'd forgotten all about it in an instant.

But he did not.

Those few first seconds he shared with her... it was what ultimately changed his whole life.

And he did not regret it one bit.

* * *

 **Pretty much headcanon since, in the games, we have little to zero info about how Aya and Kanetsugu met. Historically (at least according to Koei Wiki) Aya was the one to recognise Kanetsugu's talent and intervene for him to become a retainer (I think) of the Uesugi but that's as far as I know. So I put a small twist into it. Kanetsugu's village was being attacked, and Kenshin charged there to save the villagers. Obviously Aya was with him, and she happened to save Kanetsugu from an enemy that would have killed him. (Keep in mind Kanetsugu is around 16 at the time he meets Aya -which I think is actually historically correct- while she is 25 or so? Not sure.)**

 **Er... I hope you liked it :D I hope I'll make something good for Day 2 tomorrow lol XD**

 **~Arashi**


	2. Day 2: Realisation

**Phew, I can't believe I managed to pull it off with all the Algebra homework I had XD Meh~**

 **I have so many ideas to write and so little time ;3; and this chapter didn't come out good, I warned you I have no idea of a good thing to write about the first 3-4 prompts XD**

 **And I feel sick again -damn it I was ill a while ago, if I become so again I'll start freaking out XD on another thought, pretty much everyone I know is sick or has just went through it. Yay for the flu XD**

 **Anyway... enjoy I guess? :)**

* * *

 **~*** **Day 2: Realisation** ***~**

Aya always preached about love, and Kanetsugu eventually came to preach about it too, spreading her teachings to the world around, even in the middle of the battle.

Could it be called a surprise when he found himself experiencing that feeling they both talked so much about?

Love -yes, love. What was it? Kanetsugu couldn't reply at first -it was only a tightness in his stomach, a blush on his face, the pounding of his excited heart when she granted him so much as a gentle smile.

Eventually he found himself unable to swift his eyes from her when she was in close proximity, he found himself stammering in her presence -and this time it was not only out of respect but because of something deeper, something that made his heart thump so loud that he was afraid she'd hear it.

Maybe she could hear it after all.

Because she'd sometimes look at him with that knowing, sleepish smily of hers -and then Kanetsugu would know that as much as he tried to hide everything, she could see right through him, read him like an open book. And so, many times he came close to opening his mouth and just confessing everything -but eventually fear would always keep him back and he said nothing.

He was afraid she wasn't bearing reciprocating feelings -no, not afraid, he was _sure_ of it, because why on Earth would someone like her love someone like him back?- and so never spoke. Yes, hiding his feelings caused him to suffer -but at least like that he could live in blissful ignorance, bear the immoral, the impossible hope of her accepting him, at some point in time. Like that, he could feel his heart come close to breaking -while it never did break.

He knew his heart would surely be broken if he opened his mouth and let his feelings speak for him.

He couldn't have known that behind her every action towards him, behind every time she raised her hand against him, behind every reproach or harsh word, behind every one of her playful smiles, there was something as well.

Truly, how can two people always preaching about love being so clueless about it when it comes down to business?

* * *

 **I always headcanoned that Aya and Kanetsugu would bear feelings towards each other but would be to ignorant or embarrassed to admit it. Naturally Kanetsugu would be the one to fall for Aya first, then Aya would slowly start getting warmer towards him and she'd slowly develop feelings for him too, but she'd only realise what these feelings truly were during a very specific incident that I'll be covering in one of these 30 chapters :3**

 **Anyway... till tomorrow!**

 **~Arashi**


	3. Day 3: Revelation (almost)

**Okkk I'm still doing this XD**

 **I'm starting to adapt and produce some good ideas too :D I liked this one, even if the execution is kind of... sloppy. It's midnight after all, and I'm half-asleep right now lol XD**

 **Aaanyway so, this prompt was supposed to be 'Revelation', aka the characters confessing to each other and such. But I figured that would be extremely out-of-character for both Aya and Kanetsugu, at least on this point of the story. So instead I got a little creative :3 see if you like it :D**

 **I don't think I have to add anything else, and honestly I'm too tired to do so... so I guess you like it even though it's probably horrible XD**

 **Enjoy~**

* * *

 **~*** **Day 3: Revelation (...almost)** ***~**

He had finally mustered up all the courage to tell her about his feelings. He'd thought it over and over in his head and came to realise that, no matter the outcome, his heart would never stop belonging to her -even if she rejected him, his love would still burn, would still warm his heart.

Yes, it would be painful -but it was anyway, wasn't it? He already suffered, letting these flames constrict his heart without a slight hope of extinguishing them.

So he finally decided it was the right time to confess to her.

''L-Lady Aya...''

She turned and looked at him with that gentle, _wonderful_ smile of hers that sent shivers through his spine.

''Yes, my dear student?''

''I-I...'' He bit his lips, hoping his blush would not become too evident. ''There's something really important I have to tell you.'' he managed.

Her eyes glinted with curiosity as she arched her eyebrows in a way that made her look impossibly endearing -even more so than she already was.

''I am listening.'' She said, interest seeping through her mellow voice.

Kanetsugu took a deep breath and opened his mouth to finally speak these forbidden words.

''I-''

''Aya-sama!''

The door of the room literally burst open and a young messenger stumbled in, bowing to the ground.

''I am sorry for the rude interruption!'' He sputtered, stretching out his hand and offering her a neatly rolled-up scroll. ''But lord Hojo Ujiyasu has sent this for you.''

Aya smiled and nodded to the messenger, as she took the scroll and unfolded it carefully. She read it quickly, before looking up again.

''How kind of him to invite me and Kenshin for the Cherry Blossom celebration.'' She said softly. ''Please covert my reply to him -we're thankful for his invitation and will surely attend.''

''As you command, my lady!'' The messenger waited to hear nothing more and bolted off just as abruptly as he'd come in.

''I am sorry for the interruption, my dear Kanetsugu.'' Aya turned to Kanetsugu again, the smile never leaving her lips ''You wanted to tell me something important, did you not?''

Kanetsugu shook his head nervously, swallowing back the slight sting of jealousy he felt at the mention of the Lion of Sagami -Ujiyasu and Aya had been very close ever since childhood. However, Kanetsugu focused on his goal, and opened his mouth again.

''Yes, my lady, I wanted to tell you that I am-''

Before he could finish -or, honestly, start- his sentence, the door slid open again and Kenshin's head, wrapped in his signature white cloth, peeked in.

''Ane-ue.'' he said, looking between her and Kanetsugu. ''Am I interrupting your lesson?''

Aya's smile only widened upon seeing her beloved brother.

''Not at all, my sweet Kenshin. Come in!''

Kenshin followed her advice and entered the room. As Kanetsugu bowed and Aya tilted her head in a form of respect to her brother, Kenshin spoke.

''I take it you learned about Ujiyasu's invitation?''

''Yes, I did, brother.''

''I see. And did you accept?'' Kenshin sounded a little reluctant, as if he wasn't very fond of the idea -which he probably was not, indeed.

''Of course I did.'' Kanetsugu, although he still kept his head low, could practically _hear_ her smiling innocently. ''It would, after all, be extremely impolite of us to refuse, would it not?''

A short silence, before Kenshin's defeated huff reached Kanetsugu's ears.

''I suppose so, my sister.'' He said quietly. ''Well, if this is settled... I shall be going now.''

And with the exchange of a few more affectionate words between the two siblings, Kenshin left, leaving teacher and student alone again.

It came as no surprise to Kanetsugu when Aya turned back at him, asking him to repeat what he wanted to say, and apologising that he had been interrupted again.

''I promise I'll hear you out this time.'' She assured him, speaking softly and waiting for him to take his turn and finally make his statement.

Kanetsugu sucked in another deep breath, trying to ignore the heat spreading across his face.

 _'Alright, this time for sure.'_

''Lady Aya, I... I am in-''

He wasn't really surprised when the door opened again and a messenger from the town's blacksmith store came in, holding Ayas' naginata in one hand.

''Lady Aya, the blacksmith sent me to deliver your weapon -he's fixed the handle and sharpened the blade just like you asked for.'' The man said and bowed his head, while handing the weapon to Aya, who took it with a smile and a thankful nod.

''Arigato-gozaimasu.'' She said simply. ''Tell the blacksmith that I shall see to his payment right away.''

''As you command, lady Aya.''

At this point, Kanetsugu didn't even bother to feel relieved when the blacksmith's messenger walked out too. And as he heard Aya's voice asking him to repeat his statement yet again -truly, she was starting to sound quite annoyed by all the interruptions too- he only let out a weak, disappointed sigh.

''I...'' he stammered. ''I...''

 _'Oh, forget about it...'_

''My lady, I am in the unpleasant position to tell you... that I forgot to transcribe the haiku you gave me yesterday...''

* * *

 **Poor Kane :D Talk about bad luck. Yes, he was planning on confessing his love, but the universe is against him lol XD Anyway, he'll have many chances so don't worry :3**

 **See you with a new chapter tomorrow!~**

 **~Arashi**


	4. Day 4: First Date (sort of)

**Whoop still haven't skipped a day! I'm happy XD**

 **Ok I don't think I have anything to add on the beginning except that this came out good and that it makes me happy XD See, I'm getting better ideas as the challenge progresses, as promised :D**

 **Enjoy! (more notes to the end of the chapter)**

* * *

 **~*** **Day 4: First Date (sort of)** ***~**

''Lady Aya?''

Aya turned her head to look at her student, standing a few meters across from her in the yard and nervously fiddling with his ofuda charms. A small, lopsided smile made its way to her face.

''Kanetsugu.'' She cooed softly, approaching him -which only seemed to cause his nervousness to intensify, and her smile to widen slightly. ''I thought I allowed you a day of rest. Do you so badly want to have a lesson?'' She teased him lightly, and a faint blush appeared on the man's face.

''I-I didn't...'' He paused shortly, to get his thoughts together. ''I only wanted to ask you, my lady...''

''Mm?'' She arched her eyebrows curiously. ''Ask me what?''

''I just...'' he swallowed, taking a deep breath. ''Since we both seem to be free of any duties today... would you like... to... come with me and... watch the Sakura?'' he managed, nearly trembling with unease regarding her possible reaction.

His words took Aya by a moderate amount of surprise, however, and she only blinked, staring at him for a few seconds. Suddenly, as if she came back to life, a blush similar to Kanetsugu's, only a little fainter, made its way to her cheeks.

''Kanetsugu... that's... very kind of you.'' She said quietly. She seemed to ponder something, before she decided to open her mouth and speak again. ''If I may ask, however... why would that be?''

With that question, Kanetsugu's shoulder tensed even more and he was forced to look down, as if he could not bear her gaze.

''N-No reason, my lady!'' He replied quickly, so that Aya found it extremely easy to realise that there probably was a reason that he was keeping a secret. ''I... I just thought that since today is a relatively warm day... we could go watch the flowers. I overheard some of the other retainers say that they are extremely pretty.''

Aya smiled hesitantly at his remark, trying to think of any reason why he'd act so nervous and refuse to tell her the reason behind his proposal. She decided not to dwell on it however, as, she concluded, it may all have been in her mind. Maybe Kanetsugu wasn't hiding anything from her. Maybe he was just telling the truth, which wouldn't be a surprise, considering how seriously he took all her lessons about truth, love, righteousness and honor. Accepting this version of the situation, she nodded to him.

''Alright then, my dear student.'' She smiled, approaching him. ''Let's go.''

His face lit up with an innocent, excited smile that, weirdly, caused something inside her to warm up pleasantly.

''Thank you for agreeing, my lady!'' He seemed to literally beam with happiness. ''Let's go indeed!'' He said, offering her his arm.

Her smile widening slightly, she got hold of his arm and they started walking.

They took the path circling the castle and ending in a small field between the mountain and the valley. The meadow was long and narrow, abundant with Sakura trees and small firs. As it was late winter, it was devoid of any flowers, but grass had already sprout out out of the frozen ground, creating a shiny emerald blanket across the field. Combined with the blooming cherry trees, it was a sight to be hold.

Aya stopped walking for a few seconds, admiring the scene.

''It is quite a surprise,'' she noted absent-mindedly ''to see the Sakura blooming so early this year.''

''Yes, it is surprising indeed.'' Kanetsugu agreed. ''But maybe it is because of the mild Winter we've been through. They say that the milder the winter is, the earlier the Sakura will produce flowers.''

''Really?" Aya asked in a slightly interested voice tone. ''I've never heard of that before...'' she smiled at him. ''Shall we go sit under a tree?''

He nodded. ''Of course my lady, as you wish.''

They approached one of the fully bloomed trees and settled under the shade. Kanetsugu nervously sat upright with his legs crossed, while Aya leaned against the tree's trunk, her eyes gazing towards the imposing mountain side far away.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, until a sudden gust of cold wind whistled throught the branches of the trees. Kanetsugu heard Aya next to him shuffle nervousy, and as he turned his head slightly he saw wrapping her arms around her body for warmth. It clicked on him that she wasn't wearing her signature white coat and was only lightly dressed in the white kimono she usually wore under her coat.

Quickly, he moved near her and took off his own coat, draping it around her small frame while he also stretched one arm to wrap around her body.

Aya slightly widened her eyes in surprise and felt her face heating up slightly, as she turned to look at him.

''Kanetsugu...?'' she asked in mild confusion, and he smiled down at her, although his cheeks were also bright red.

''I thought you'd feel quite cold, my lady -let us not forget that it's still Winter, and you shouldn't catch a cold. This should keep you from freezing.'' He explained, causing this strange warmth to swirl inside of her chest again. She couldn't help but smile at him as well.

''You're so kind, my dear Kanetsugu. Thank you.'' She said softly, resting her head against his shoulder as he held her -consequently, and without her knowing, the young man blushed all the more, but said or did nothing.

Another gust of wind blew throught the trees, this time plucking some Sakura flowers off of their branches and scattering them around.

Kanetsugu lowered his eyes to look at Aya, whose gaze was travelling far beyond towards the mountain and the clear blue sky. She looked so... peaceful, he noticed. Some of the delicate petals that had fallen from the branches above them had landed on her hair, creating an aura of innocence that added to her calm, relaxed state. Her eyes seemed a little brighter, and her lips were slightly curved in a small smile. Maybe she was thinking of something that made her happy, he concluded.

Lost as he was, gazing at her, he nearly forgot the reason behind all of this -as soon as he remembered, he mentally cursed himself for daring to take his mind off of it. So great its importance was. That was why he'd asked her to follow him there in the first place.

He didn't really want to bother her -she seemed to be enjoying the stillness and quiet that had envelopment- but there wasn't an alternative. It wasn't something that could wait until they'd go back to the castle.

He cleared his throat softly, aiming on evoking her attention. It worked, and she lifted her eyes to look at him.

''My lady...'' he started uneasily, but as soon as the time came to finally say it, he couldn't hold back a smile -just thinking about her reaction caused him to grin. ''...Happy Birthday.''

She needed a few seconds to connect the dots of his words and, as soon as she did, a small gasp escaped her lips and her eyes widened, her face turning bright red.

''K-Kanetsugu!'' She managed, looking at him in shock, before she lowered her eyes to hide her embarassment, and a small smile. ''How... How did you remember...?'' she asked softly, and he was upset to detect a hint of sadness in her voice. ''Even Kenshin forgot this year...'' there was pain in her voice as she said so, and he figured how awful it must have been for her, her own brother forgetting about her birthday.

He wrapped his arm around her again, trying to comfort her.

''I-I couldn't possibly forget, my lady...'' He smiled at her. ''Lord Kenshin is greatly burdened with the leadership of the Uesugi and the clan's army, but I... it would be unforgivable, should this day slip my mind.''

Finally, she looked up at him and smiled.

''Kanetsugu... thank you.'' she whispered.

He couldn't hold back his smile either, his heart fluttering.

''I... I have something for you, my lady.'' He said, although he felt a little nervous. Would she like his gift?

That remained to be seen, he concluded, as he saw her blush intensifying to impossible levels. He knew he shouldn't but he couldn't resist and started teasing her a little.

''It's a surprise.'' He said quietly. ''Close your eyes, my lady.''

She just stared at him for a few seconds, before letting out a sigh and closing her eyes as he had asked for. He reached inside of his jacket, taking out a golden hair ornament in the shape of a leaf, with a white ribbon on one side. He reached up, adjusting it to the right side of her head.

''You can open your eyes now.'' He said softly, and she did, reaching up to identify what he'd placed on her head.

''Do you like it, my lady?'' He asked, unable to hide the excitement in her voice -it brought a smile to her face as she looked up at him.

''Yes, Kanetsugu, it's wonderful.'' She said, as she reached up, her fingers tracing the ornament. ''Thank you so much...''

He smiled, bowing his head as he reached out, holding her hand into his.

''Anything for you, lady Aya. I am but your humble student... but I would do anything to make you happy. Especially on today's occasion.''

Her smile seemed to widen as she looked up at him in a way she'd never done so before -it wasn't her usual congratulating smile or her mischievous grin. It was gratitude for his words, for his actions. She held his hand with both of hers, pressing his fingers slightly.

She rose up on her knees and, to Kanetsugu's immense surprise and shock, she gently pressed her lips against his forehead for a few seconds. As she drew back, she spoke, and her voice was soft and gentle as it's always been, but for the first time, it slightly wavered with a warm, unique feeling.

''Thank you...''

* * *

 **See, my ideas are getting better as promised :D I like how this chappie came out, I think it's my best one so far! Sure the ending is sloppy because I have to go to sleep because I'm having an exam tomorrow (Yes. Exams. On Sunday. Yay for Greek schooling.) but otherwise it's okay, me thinks :D**

 **I tend to headcanon that the coat Aya wears is a gift to her from Kenshin (and thus holds a great emotional value to her) while the hair ornament she wears in SW4 is a gift to her by Kanetsugu (although when I write my fanfictions, I always describe Aya being in her SW3 design because I kind of dislike her SW4 one. So I headcanon that she wears Kanetsugu's gift on special occasions. Anyway.)**

 **Also, yes, this was slightly off-prompt as well because as I said before, Kane and Aya are not in an established relationship (and most likely will never be in my fics, because that would be so OOC). But that still counts as a date right? And Aya's starting to warm up to Kane anyway :D**

 **Oh well... please R &R if you'd like! ^v^**

 **~Arashi**


	5. Day 5: Reminder

**Day 5 :3**

 **I think this is the best I've done yet (both in terms of actual PLOT instead of just random fluff and in terms of writing, because the amount of stupid mistakes I spotted in the previous chapters made me want to pull my hair out and scream :D )**

 **Anyway, this does not solely focus on the trope itself but actually develops around it, which I guess is also good :3**

 **WARNING: There's a short yet graphic depiction of gore down there. If you're too sensitive with this kind of stuff, you're advises to skip that part. It's not anything too major but I want to be covered.**

 **Enjoy! :D**

* * *

 **~*** **Day 5: Reminder** ***~**

The sound of thunder violently brings Aya out of her slumberous state and she lets out a small, startled cry as her body jolts. She needs a few minutes to realise where she is, what she's doing. At first she's confused, but a few glances around the room serve for her to quickly recall everything.

The battle. Right. It had been a victory for the Uesugi, as always -but this time it was not without it's price.

She lowers her head, looking down at Kanetsugu, who seems so peacefully asleep over his matress, with the blanket pulled up to his neck. Yes, he might as well have been asleep, had it not been for his pained expression, for the reddish tint on his cheeks, for the bandages wrapped around his trunk and shoulder -she could not see them as the blankets covered him, but she knew they were there, stained with crimson blood.

''Kanetsugu...'' She knows he cannot hear her -it's a miracle that he's still alive after taking such a blow and losing so much blood. Slowly, she reaches out and slips her hand under the covers, to hold his -it's limp and extremely hot.

As she holds his hand, she lifts her eyes to look out of the window. The rain has only gotten worse ever since they returned from the battle -the mild pouring has now escalated into a full-scale thunderstorm. The crashing thunder must have waked her earlier.

Had she really come close to falling asleep?

She concludes that yes, she must have. Ever since the physicians had finished treating Kanetsugu's wounds, she's sat by his side, as if she was waiting for something -waiting for him to wake up. But as she'd also been exhausted from the battle, she must have nearly fallen asleep in her position.

She was thankful to the thunder for waking her up.

Her eyes hovered back towards Kanetsugu's still face, and she felt the well-known vice of fear gripping her heart.

All of this had been her fault -Kanetsugu had only taken the blow to protect her. The swing of the enemy ax would have killed her had Kanetsugu not stepped in front of her the last second, shielding her from death. She could recall his pained cry as the heavy blade had cleaved through his breast bone, breaking his shoulder and issuing a gaping wound, so that Aya had initially thought him dead.

She remembered every second from then on as range blinded her and she screamed, driving her naginata all the way through the enemy's abdomen, and as the man fell down, she stabbed him again and again until all that remained of his insides was a bloody mess spilling across the muddy ground.

She had knelt next to Kanetsugu, fearing the worst -but even for a second, he'd opened his eyes and had smiled at her, _smiled,_ and had pleaded her not to worry about him. Then he'd passed out.

And hadn't awoken ever since, hours ago.

The physicians were honestly surprised he wasn't gone yet, but were not giving him anything more than a few hours.

At this thought, Aya felt as though someone had just pushed a knife inside of her heart.

''No. No, Kanetsugu, you can't die.'' She muttered, her hand involuntarily squeezing his. ''Don't you dare joke like that with me. I assure you our next lesson will be hell on you if you do...''

What was she even saying? She was ridiculous, she knew. So stupid. As if he could hear her. As if her words could make any difference.

She let go of his hand, and reached inside of her coat, taking out a golden hair ornament shaped like a leaf -it was his gift to her, for her birthday a few months ago. She rarely wore it, yet kept it with her at all times, to remind her of him. Of that day they'd spent under the Sakura, of this peaceful morning that she'd thought she couldn't be happier -these times seemed so very far away now, as if they'd happened to somebody else, ages ago.

Involuntary tears stung her eyes and she gripped the ornament with all her strength, until she felt the sharp edges cutting into her fingers and drawing blood. She winced, relaxing her grip but thankful for the pain -thankful for bringing her back to reality.

To the harsh, horrible reality.

She reached up, adjusting the ornament onto her hair -now thinking of it, she'd only wore it once in a shrine ceremony. She figured how hurtful it must have been for Kanetsugu -maybe he'd thought she hadn't liked his gift. She wished she would have wore it often -to show that she appreciated it. That she cared about him and everything he'd done for her.

 _'But now I might never get the chance to show him.'_

She bit her lips, desperately trying to keep the tears from falling. She shouldn't think like that, she shouldn't -Kanetsugu would be okay, he surely would. He'd always been. He'd become a part of her life this ten years, so much that going back to how it was before he became her student seemed strange, foreign.

She didn't want to lose him.

Funny, she didn't even know why. She didn't even know what that feeling was -that warm, that happiness that swirled inside of her. Maybe it was love -although it was so different than the burning passion she'f felt about Masakage. This was gentler, like a calming breeze singing through the trees.

Whatever it was, she didn't care right now. All she cared about was _not_ losing Kanetsugu.

She held his hand again, having abandoned all the attempts to stop her tears. She just held his hand tightly, praying, pleading.

''Kanetsugu... please don't go...''

* * *

 **And yeah :3**

 **Off with stating the obvious fact that Kanetsugu is not going to die. It's not a 5 day challenge after all lol XD And yes, here we have Aya actually expressing some sort of intense feeling -but she's mostly admitting it to herself, so don't expect a similar one when she's actually speaking to Kanetsugu :D It's, ya know, inner monologue or something XD**

 **Also, yes, Masakage :3 aka Aya's historical husband aka if you've played Chronicles you're free to cry here with me (and Aya lol). For those who haven't played Chronicles, Masakage was married to Aya obviously, but he rebelled against Kenshin. It is said that he later drowned in the sea, but rumor had it that Kenshin was behind his death. I personally found this kind of more believable so in my headcanon he dies in the rebellion he himself started (you can check my story 'Sacrifice' for more on that).**

 **Aaaanyway! How was it? :D Please R &R if you'd like! :D**

 **~Arashi**


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